Erectile dysfunction (ED) or impotence is the inability to get or keep an erection that is firm enough, or lasts long enough, to have successful sexual intercourse. It can have serious effects on a person's sexual relationship and their self-esteem.
Inflatable penile prostheses may be used to cure or compensate for impotence. Inflatable penile prostheses typically include a pair of inflatable cylinders and a pump. The cylinders are implanted in the corpus cavernosa of the patient, and the pump is implanted in the scrotum of the patient. For some inflatable penile prostheses (i.e., three-piece penile prostheses), a separate fluid reservoir must be implanted in the abdomen of the patient. Alternatively, the fluid reservoir may be combined with the cylinders (i.e., two-piece penile prostheses).
Both the three-piece and the two-piece penile inflatable prostheses rely on the transfer of a volume of fluid to and from the inflatable cylinders to transition the cylinders between inflated and deflated states. It is desirable to reduce this volume of fluid to reduce the amount of pumping required to be performed by the patient, and to reduce the size of the prosthesis.